


Confession of a Hopeless Attraction

by goshinote



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27385390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goshinote/pseuds/goshinote
Summary: The color of her eyes, the sound of her voice, the beauty of her name...those were the only things Inuyasha knew about her, aside from the obvious fact that he'd been roped into an attraction to her from the moment he first heard her voice in their Public Speaking class. One-shot. College AU. InuKag.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Confession of a Hopeless Attraction

**Confession of a Hopeless Attraction**

Inuyasha peeked over his book as inconspicuously as possible, hoping to catch a glance of her.

He'd seen her walk in with some friends a few minutes after he'd gotten settled at a table, but his mouth went completely dry and his palms began to sweat profusely from how nervous he got from just looking at her, so he resigned himself to just hiding his nose in a book.

When he finally gathered some courage, Inuyasha scanned the library to see her off in one corner talking quietly with her friends. She was no doubt preparing for their Public Speaking speech the next day, and Inuyasha toyed with the idea of walking over, introducing himself, and asking if she wanted to prepare together.

But...he didn't.

Inuyasha had two classes with Kagome, but he knew she probably didn't notice him. He sat three rows behind her in their Public Speaking course, so they'd never spoken.

He had no idea what year she was or what she was studying or really anything substantial about her; all he knew was her name and how her voice was clear and bright whenever she would answer questions in class. Every answer she gave was thoughtful and laced with a kindness he'd never heard, and he'd quickly become addicted to it.

They also had a Child Psychology course together in which Inuyasha again sat three rows behind her. It was a lecture-based class, with limited discussion, so he didn't get to hear her voice, unlike their Public Speaking class.

Speaking of...Inuyasha was eager to hear what she would present for her first speech.

It was a month into the semester, and it was the first of three speeches they would give. The first was a simple informative speech in which each student would explain one topic in-depth for two minutes.

Inuyasha had chosen to speak about the way music could help people overcome disabilities, especially after traumatic accidents. He was on the road to becoming a music therapist, so he decided to use that as his topic.

They all had to write about their topic in a paper to turn in before compressing it into a speech so they weren't simply reading what they'd written.

Inuyasha was nearly finished with it, but he was more than a little distracted by Kagome.

He had a good view of her from where he was sitting; he could tell she was working hard with her friends as she kept up a steady pace of typing on her laptop. Every few minutes, she would nibble on her thumbnail, and Inuyasha wondered if that was a habit she had.

He wanted to know what other habits she had. He wanted to know everything about her.

Inuyasha kept himself from staring or glancing at her too much, but she was running around his mind to the point that he could hardly think straight-

"Hello, my good friend."

Inuyasha jumped to see Miroku pulling out the chair across from him and sitting down.

"Hey," Inuyasha replied as he tried to gather himself. He snuck a final peak at Kagome before frowning at his best friend and roommate. "You know this is a library. You should be a little quieter."

Miroku smiled. "Oh, come now. My greeting was quiet...enough."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Now that Miroku was sitting across from him, he didn't have as good a view of Kagome, but he figured that was a good thing. He needed to finish his paper within the hour, so he kicked it into gear to get it done.

"What are you working on?" Miroku asked as he turned on his laptop.

"Public Speaking," Inuyasha replied as he typed out the last few paragraphs. "Just a short speech. Nothing fancy."

Miroku paused and looked up at him. "Public Speaking, huh? That sounds...interesting."

Inuyasha fought the blush threatening to spill onto his cheeks.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, his tone turning into a warning for Miroku that explicitly said watch it…

Miroku shrugged casually. "I was just thinking it might be nice to speak a little...maybe listen a little...to a voice you've grown rather fond of."

Inuyasha grimaced. "I never should have told you about that."

Miroku chuckled quietly as he typed his password on the laptop. "If you didn't tell me, who would you get to talk to about it? Case and point." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and focused on his assignment.

It only took about fifteen more minutes to crank out the last bit of his paper. By the time he was done and had submitted it, he looked up to see that Kagome was already gone.

He felt his mood drop a bit.

At least I'm done with the paper, he reminded himself. Plus I'll see her tomorrow anyway.

When he gave his speech.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as a monstrous wave of nerves crashed into him.

"What's wrong?" Miroku asked. "You just got all pale and...sweaty."

Inuyasha glared at him. "I'm not sweaty," he retorted.

And he wasn't. He was just...a little warm. The thermostat in the library must have been broken.

Or something…

"Are you nervous?" Miroku guessed.

Inuyasha sighed. Of course he would be able to see right through me. That's what best friends are for, I guess.

"Yeah," Inuyasha admitted. "I've never spoken in class and she's probably never even seen me, so this will be her actual first impression of me...I just don't want to crash and burn."

Miroku gave him an encouraging smile. "You'll be fine. You know your topic and you love it. You can do it."

Inuyasha smiled. "Thanks. Sometimes you're alright, Miroku. Only sometimes, though."

Miroku grinned. "Uh-huh. You just keep telling yourself sometimes."

o.O.o

Later that night, Inuyasha paced his bedroom reciting his speech on a loop.

During his seventh recitation, Miroku knocked on his door.

When Inuyasha called for him to come in, Miroku opened the door to reveal himself munching on a bag of chips.

"Hey!" Inuyasha said immediately. "I just bought the bag and you're already digging for crumbs on the bottom!"

Miroku shrugged and popped another chip in his mouth. "You snooze, you lose."

Inuyasha plopped down on his bed, not bothering to argue. He couldn't eat even if he tried.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said seriously as he leaned on the doorframe. "I've never seen you so...worked up, especially about a girl. Honestly, man, you don't even know her."

Inuyasha groaned. "You're right. I don't. But...I really want to. I don't know what it is about her."

Miroku set the bag of chips on Inuyasha's bed before leaving the room.

"Let me know if you wanna practice with me instead of running around your room spewing the speech."

Miroku smiled at him a final time before closing the door behind him.

o.O.o  
The next day, Inuyasha's speech was absolutely fine.

He wasn't surprised, though. He had no reason to be nervous.

Kagome wasn't in their Public Speaking class, nor was she in their Child Psych class.

Inuyasha wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. He'd been eager to rip the band-aid off of his proverbial wound of her not knowing him, but now it seemed like that would have to wait.

Two days later as he was parking in the university parking lot for his Public Speaking class, he realized that Kagome would see him that day. She was giving her speech, which meant she would be facing the class.

Inuyasha groaned as he put his car in park and grabbed his backpack.

He hadn't bothered with his usual ponytail that day; he'd woken up later than usual and only had time to run a brush through it before grabbing a granola bar and racing out the door.

He was self-conscious about his bright silver hair as well as its length; no matter how many times he cut it, it always grew back nearly overnight.

His father always joked that it was because they had inu-youkai ancestors several-hundred-years-ago, but Inuyasha never believed him.

Regardless of who the hair had come from, Inuyasha had to deal with it, and it was a pain.

He hurried to class, pushing the insecurity from his mind as he tried his hardest to arrive on time.

He made it with only two minutes to spare, which was definitely out of character given that he was usually one of the first to arrive.

He normally got to class before Kagome, but she'd beat him to class that day.

There was something about seeing her sit at her desk, mouthing what she'd written on notecards as she did what Inuyasha figured was a final practice for her speech.

She didn't look up at him when he walked by, which disappointed Inuyasha a little bit.

Maybe she'll fail the eye contact section of the rubric, he mused as he sat down in his seat. Some people only talked with their eyes glued to their notecards. She might be one of them…

He fought the urge to roll his eyes at himself. Don't think like that, you weirdo. She's gonna do great. So what if she sees me on a not-so-put-together day? I don't care!

Wishful thinking.

The professor started class soon after, and Kagome was the third person to present her speech.

She stood up in front of the class and smiled brightly as she scanned the room in the usual manner to engage the audience fully before beginning her speech.

When her gaze moved to Inuyasha, he froze.

Her eyes had settled on him a moment longer than the other students, and he wondered if he was the only one to notice that her blue eyes had widened the slightest bit when their gazes locked.

But then she was looking at the next person before beginning her speech.

"You'll have to excuse my voice," she said. "I'm getting over a cold that I've had the last couple of days." That explained where she'd been in the last class.

Inuyasha nearly whined. Her voice sounded so good with that little hint of a rasp.

Inuyasha's heart was racing the entire time she spoke. She only made eye contact with him a final time during her speech, which Inuyasha vaguely remembered was about the importance of Special Education courses for college students studying to be teachers.

When she finished her speech, she smiled and nodded at the class. She sat down as a light applause rounded the room.

She glanced at Inuyasha a final time before she sat down.

'What could all that mean?' he wondered. 'Was I just imagining it? Maybe...maybe I should talk to her after class. Maybe that was a sign that I should just go for it.'

But when class ended, Kagome left without looking back, so he figured it was just a fluke.

o.O.o

"She probably just thought my hair was weird."

Inuyasha poked his instant ramen around the cup as he explained what happened to Miroku over dinner at their apartment.

Miroku shrugged. "That could be the case." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and slurped up a large bite of noodles.

"You're one to talk, ponytail," he muttered. Miroku laughed.

"You wear a ponytail almost as much as I do!" he replied jovially. "If I'm weird then you're weird, too."

Inuyasha chuckled, knowing his best friend had a point.

"But in all seriousness," Miroku said, "I don't think you should read into it too much. If she starts looking at you more, then you probably weren't imagining things. If she doesn't look at you anymore, then, well, you probably were imagining things."

Inuyasha slurped up the rest of his noodles as he pondered what Miroku was saying.

"You're right," he conceded once he finished eating. "I'll know during the next class."

o.O.o

The next day, Inuyasha sat down in his Child Psychology class and watched Kagome as she walked in.

Perfect as ever, she walked to the professor's desk instead of sitting in her usual seat.

Inuyasha frowned as she spoke with the professor. Kagome smiled and stood back, allowing the professor to walk to the center of the room to begin class.

"Hello, everyone," the professor greeted. "One of your classmates has an announcement to give, so, Kagome, you have the floor." Kagome nodded and smiled at the professor before she turned to address the room full of students.

And just like the day before, Kagome's gaze lingered on Inuyasha.

There was something different in the way she looked...her eyes went a little wide like the day before, but there was something underlying in her gaze. Surprise, maybe? Inuyasha wondered if she had even known he was in that class.

By the time he even considered smiling at her like a normal human, she looked away from him.

'Stupid!' he scolded himself. 'Loser!'

Kagome gave a simple announcement about the Psychology Club's first meeting, and Inuyasha figured she was apparently the president.

"I know my fellow Psych majors might want to add this to their resume," Kagome chirped. "So let me know if you want to join." Her gaze moved to Inuyasha again before she took her seat.

Inuyasha cursed silently. He would have joined the Psychology Club if he were able to, but with his internship at the local rehab center, he wouldn't have time.

Of course I can't take advantage of my one shot at talking to her…

Inuyasha thought about asking her about the club just in case; he knew he wouldn't be able to do it, but getting more information about it might be helpful.

Maybe Miroku would want to join.

Even though he was majoring in Communications…

Inuyasha shook his head and waited patiently for class to end.

After the professor dismissed them, Kagome lingered in her seat, obviously waiting for anyone interested in the Psych Club to approach her.

Inuyasha looked at her, trying to work up the nerve to talk to her.

She caught his gaze and smiled, causing Inuyasha to nearly melt.

He had just started walking over to her when another student approached her desk. The student obviously didn't notice Inuyasha, so he completely obstructed his view of Kagome.

Inuyasha hesitated. 'Should I wait?'

With Kagome out of his line of sight, he lost his nerve and just left the room.

As he sulked on the way to his car, he mentally cursed himself.

'Maybe I just need to get over this,' he pondered. 'I don't even know her. All I know is that her eyes are bright and her smile wrecks me and her voice…'

He wondered what his name would sound like coming from her mouth…

He was starting to doubt he would ever find out.

o.O.o

A month later, they had to give their second speech for their Public Speaking course.

It was a persuasive speech, so Inuyasha was sitting at his usual table in the library an hour before it was due, stuck on what he wanted his topic to be.

Kagome had entered the library shortly after he had, so that was distracting him as well.

I wonder if I could write a speech saying, "Hey, Kagome, here are a few reasons why you should go out with me…"

He sighed and decided to go with a simple argument on why schools should have well-equipped music programs.

As he submitted the assignment, he looked up at Kagome again.

To his surprise, her gaze was already on him.

Inuyasha froze, but the warmth of her gaze quickly thawed him.

He smiled at her in all the ways he did in his head, hoping that she could pick up on what he was trying to say.

Kagome smiled back at him before turning her attention to her laptop.

Inuyasha tried to calm his racing heart. If she'd been alone, he would have gone over and talked to her.

But to his dismay, she was with her usual group of friends.

Inuyasha sighed and closed his laptop after submitting the paper. He wanted to beat Miroku home so he wouldn't have to get an earful about Miroku's new girlfriend. Inuyasha hadn't met her yet, but Miroku talked about her enough that it felt like he already knew her.

As Inuyasha drove home, he realized that Kagome would see him giving his speech the next day.

'Unless she's absent again…'

Inuyasha shook his head. He needed to focus on the other homework waiting for him that night. There would be time to think about Kagome later.

o.O.o

Inuyasha had never been so nervous.

It was almost his turn to give his speech, and Kagome was actually in class. His palms were sweaty enough that they'd started smearing the ink on his notecards.

He took a silent deep breath and tried to calm his nerves.

'It's not a big deal', he chided himself. 'Get over it.'

When it was his turn, Inuyasha got up and walked to the front of the class.

Kagome's attention was on him when he looked out at his fellow classmates. Her blue eyes were intense and focused as he began his speech, and Inuyasha wondered how he ever thought he could do this without freaking out.

He kept his cool during the speech, though, and managed to contain his overwhelming feelings from leaking into his voice or body language as he spoke.

When he finished and the class began to clap, he felt like he'd just run a marathon.

Kagome was presenting after him, so she got up after he'd sat down.

She smiled at the class like she had before her last speech, but this time she set her gaze on Inuyasha and left it there.

"As a Psych major, it really is important for kids to have exposure to music as an outlet or means of expression when they're young. It's actually similar to the topic I'm speaking about, so thank you for the segue, Inuyasha."

'Inuyasha.'

He replayed the sound of her voice saying his name over and over and over as he nodded at her gratitude.

He was too stunned to speak or smile or even look like he had a single thought running through his mind.

But he didn't care. She'd said his name and he wanted her to say it again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

'Maybe I can catch her after class,' he mused as she spoke. 'Talking about our speeches might be a good place to start. She was right about them being similar.'

He'd finally worked up the nerve to talk to her, but as he stood up after class ended, he saw she was already gone.

He frowned. 'I just can't win with this girl.  
'  
o.O.o

To Inuyasha's absolute dismay, the prompt for the final speech was themed "Confession."

"You are giving an emotional speech," the professor had explained, "about something deep within you that is digging away at your soul. Confess it, make us believe it, engage us in the emotion. You can certainly make up your confession or you can do a real one. This is to go along with the pathos aspect of a speech. Connect to your audience through your emotions."

A few days before the final speech was due, Inuyasha was holed up in his bedroom trying to figure out his topic.

There was no way he could write something with the theme in a public place, so he sat on his bed against the wall as he stared at the blank document on his laptop.

Something digging away at my soul…

Kagome came to mind immediately, but Inuyasha didn't have the guts to write a confession about her.

A knock came at Inuyasha's door, jarring him from his whirling thoughts.

"Yeah?" he called.

Miroku entered the room and frowned. "You look like crap." Inuyasha grimaced, but Miroku wasn't wrong. It was almost finals week, and in addition to needing to study for all of his other exams, he had this stupid speech to write.

"Is it Kagome?" Miroku asked gently.

Inuyasha sighed. "It's...related, I guess. I have to write a speech about a 'confession' to appeal to the emotions of an audience, but I can't get her out of my mind. It's like...she's the only confession I want to make."

Miroku chuckled. "Then write about her." Inuyasha stared at him, deadpanned.

"Keh," he scoffed. "I'm not gonna write a speech about a girl in my class. Don't be stupid."

Miroku shrugged. "Why don't you just write a speech about her," he suggested, "and then once it's out of your head, you can focus on writing something else."  
Inuyasha perked up. It sounded like extra work, but if it could get him out of his funk, he was willing to try it.

He spent the next hour typing up his confession. In all honesty, it would get him a good grade if he actually presented it.

'Heck no,' he reminded himself. 'That would be so embarrassing.'

When he was finished, he took a deep breath and got up to take a break.

He went to the kitchen to get a snack only to find a woman sitting on the counter with Miroku very passionately kissing her.

"Seriously, Miroku?" Inuyasha said, breaking them apart. "You have a bedroom for that kind of thing." Miroku laughed as the woman blushed and jumped off the counter.

"I didn't think you'd be out of your room for a while," Miroku replied. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I'm Inuyasha," he greeted as he went over to the fridge and opened it.

"I'm Sango," she replied awkwardly. "Sorry we had to meet...like this."

Inuyasha wished he could say it was the first time he'd accidentally walked in on Miroku with a girl, but it wasn't so he was pretty much used to it by then.

"It's no big deal," Inuyasha replied with a shrug as he grabbed a soda and a cold piece of pizza from the fridge before closing it.

"How's the speech going?" Miroku asked as he sat down at the table with Sango.

"I'm finished with...the first one," he said hesitantly. "I have to do the real one now."

"What's your topic?" Sango asked. Inuyasha winced.

"Um, a confession," he replied. "I'm not really sure what I'm gonna write it about, so…"

Sango seemed confused. "I thought you were doing it about the girl you like." Inuyasha whipped his head around to plant his glare on Miroku.

"What happened to the Bro Code, dude?" he asked angrily. Miroku waved him off.

"Oh, stop," he replied. "Sango gives good advice. Maybe she can help."

Inuyasha huffed. "I don't need advice, Miroku."

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Inuyasha, relax. As long as you've got the Kagome confession written, I'm sure it'll be much easier to write the one you're actually going to present."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Probably. I do feel a little better, I guess. I just need to get it done. I'll see you guys later."

Once he left, Sango turned to Miroku.

"Did he say Kagome was the name of the girl?" she asked quietly. Miroku nodded.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Why? Do you know her?"

Sango smiled mischievously.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

o.O.o

Inuyasha walked into his Public Speaking class.

Saying he was in a bad mood was the understatement of the year.

His speech was decent, but his heart clenched when he saw Kagome sit down in her seat.

When it was his turn to give his speech, he sighed quietly and grabbed his notecards before walking up to the front of the room.

Before he began speaking, he smiled at the class like always, allowing his gaze to linger a moment on Kagome before finishing his quick scan of the room.

He glanced at his first notecard, ready to begin the speech.

But the words on the card weren't Why I Sometimes Doubt if I Can Succeed. The title had been lame, but it was the best he could do with the topic of confessing his occasional insecurities.

The card in his hands didn't read that title. Instead, it read something entirely different.

Confession of a Hopeless Attraction.

Inuyasha's eyes widened.

'Oh, no...this is the Kagome speech. How did this even happen? I didn't make notecards for this!'

He recognized the handwriting, though; Miroku had done it. There was a tiny note scribbled on the top right corner of the first card.

'Go for it. You got this.'

He nearly growled. Whatever Miroku's game was, Inuyasha didn't like it.

There was no way this could go well for him.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?"

Inuyasha nearly jumped at his professor's voice.

He quickly nodded and turned to address the class again.

"My speech is called 'Confession of a Hopeless Attraction…'"

He did his best to avoid any and all eye contact with Kagome.

"I'm not one to get invested in the little things in life," Inuyasha began, "but sometimes you just can't help it. It's in the smaller things, like the color of someone's eyes or the sound of their voice. We look at things and wonder how something so small can feel so significant. Are there even words to explain my thought process on just how big these small things are?"

As he spoke, Inuyasha thought of the blue eyes and the small smile Kagome had given him those few times.

"It's hard to know how each person measures everything," Inuyasha continued. "Is what's big for me just small for them? Can I look at someone and ever truly know if their thoughts are the same as mine? Probably not, but I want to. It's in the little things: the way a person writes their name or hugs a friend. It's in the way you can only imagine a person does all the things you've never seen. Is biting their thumbnail a habit? Are they a good driver? Do they sing in the shower? What do they skip in their morning routine if they oversleep?"

He took a deep breath.

"And then there are the big things. What's their worst fear? Who do they miss the most in their life? How long will it take me to find a place in their heart? There are too many questions, too many variables, to ever really be certain."

He glanced at his last notecard before turning his attention back to the class.

"I don't have any of those answers. I don't know all of the things I want to know. I confess that there's a lack of hope. I confess that I'm too afraid of the unknown to try and learn."

Inuyasha chose that moment to take a chance.

He looked at Kagome and met her eyes.

He kept their gazes locked as he finished out his speech.

"This is my confession of a hopeless attraction," he concluded. "Of the unknown and the terrifying desire to learn."

He nodded his completion, and the class began to clap.

"That was excellent, Inuyasha," the professor said. "I'm in complete awe."

Inuyasha grimaced. "Uh, me, too."

'I'm gonna kill Miroku…'

Kagome was, of course, gone by the time Inuyasha had gotten out of his seat.

He pulled out his phone and clicked on Miroku's contact, intent on calling him to give his so-called best friend the scolding of a lifetime.

Miroku had just answered the phone when Inuyasha exited the classroom to find Kagome standing outside the doorway.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as Miroku repeated his name.

"I'll call you back," he mumbled before hanging up.

When Kagome caught sight of him, she smiled.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hey," Inuyasha replied, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"I liked your speech," Kagome said. "Um...I think we can all relate to it on some level."

Inuyasha half-smiled. "Yeah? Even you?"

Kagome laughed quietly. "Even me. And...I have a habit of biting my thumbnail when I'm focused on something."

'Does that mean she knows the speech was about her?'

Those blue eyes were piercing his gold ones to the point that Inuyasha was certain their irises were going to combine colors.

She was so beautiful up close, so much softer when he could look at her from this small of a distance.

"So…"

Inuyasha was cut off by someone shouting Kagome's name.

Kagome broke her gaze from Inuyasha's to look behind him at one of her friends.

Inuyasha recognized the girl as one from the library, and he really wished that she'd just stayed at the library.

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha in apology. "Sorry, I never stay after class, so I've got some friends waiting. But….um...it was a great speech."

"Thanks," Inuyasha breathed as she smiled a final time before walking away.

He watched her walk away.

'Did that really just happen?'

o.O.o

When Inuyasha returned home to his apartment, he went straight to Miroku's room.

Without bothering to knock, he banged open the door to find his best friend lounging on his bed eating popcorn and watching Netflix.

Miroku smirked knowingly, eliciting a frown from Inuyasha.

"So," Miroku began, "how was your day?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't play dumb. What possessed you to do something as stupid as that?"

Miroku shrugged. "Did it go well?"

Inuyasha blushed. "That doesn't matter. You're still an idiot for pulling a stunt like that."

"Come on, Inuyasha," Miroku goaded as he threw a piece of popcorn at the silver-haired man. "I know it went well, so give me the details."

Inuyasha paused, his frown turning from anger to straight confusion.

"What do you mean you know?" he asked slowly.

Miroku grinned widely. "It just so happens that Sango and Kagome are friends...best friends. They're the equivalent of you and I, but I'm sure they're nicer to each other than we are."

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "What? And you just found out that information?"

Miroku chuckled. "Sango and I are still in the early stages of dating. We talk, but not a whole lot."

Inuyasha made a face. "Gross. Regardless, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Shaking his head, Miroku sat up and put the popcorn down on the bed next to him.

"I didn't know until last night," Miroku explained. "Sango heard you say Kagome's name and put two-and-two together. Kagome isn't exactly a common name, so there wasn't a big chance for a coincidence." Miroku grinned. "Apparently, Kagome has been talking about a very, what term does she use? Devastatingly attractive guy in her Public Speaking and Psych class. Sango knew it was you, but Kagome swore her to secrecy and didn't let her bring it up to you."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "So...what does all that mean?"

Miroku smiled. "Kagome noticed you for the first time when she made some announcement about a club. Sango said she's had a thing for you since then."

Inuyasha was in disbelief.' It's been that long?'

Mirokue nodded. "So when Sango heard you say Kagome's name, she told me that Kagome was into you. That speech was the perfect opportunity to go for it, Inuyasha." He shrugged. "So Sango and I took your laptop while you were sleeping and made notecards from the Kagome speech. We replaced those with your other ones and, well, you know what happened next."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I can't believe it. Dude, Kagome talked to me after the speech today, and I got a vibe. I thought I was just imagining it, but now…"

Miroku laughed. "Yeah, I know she talked to you after class. Now are you gonna tell me how it went?"

o.O.o

Inuyasha walked into his final Public Speaking class. Their last assignment was a paper about what they'd learned in the course, so their professor told them that they didn't need to attend the exam period.

Inuyasha would've been relieved, but that was one less class in which he got to see Kagome.

They'd both given their final speeches a week earlier, and he still hadn't talked to her. Her topic had been a confession about her struggles with dyslexia and how it could be tough to deal with sometimes. Inuyasha was in awe of her honesty and emotion.

'I'm in deep with this woman and we don't even know each other.'

He could feel the clock ticking away, but every time he went to beat her out of class to wait for her, he would look up and she'd be gone.

He didn't see her in the library either, so Inuyasha made a plan.

He studied for his Child Psych exam, harder than he'd ever studied for an exam his entire life.

Maybe it was stupid, but he wanted to be able to fly through the exam as quickly as possible so he could finally beat Kagome out of class and wait for her outside.

On the day of the exam, Inuyasha readied his pencil and waited for the professor to pass out the test packets.

When she announced the exam period had started, Inuyasha got right to work.

Studying all night for three nights had paid off; he was flying through the exam.

'Maybe I should study like this for every exam,' he mused briefly as he turned to the last page in the packet. 'Eh...maybe not. These are extenuating circumstances.'

He was the first to finish the exam. After he turned it in to the professor, he dared to sneak a glance at Kagome as he walked past.

She was biting her thumbnail in the habit she'd admitted to him, and it only made Inuyasha want to know her more.

He stood outside the room for almost the rest of the exam period. It seemed like every student had fluttered out of the room except for Kagome.

'Did she walk past without me noticing?' he wondered. 'Did I just waste all this time? I could always ask Sango for her number, but I was hoping to do it in person…'

Finally, two minutes before the exam period was set to end, the door opened a final time and Kagome walked out. Inuyasha remembered her confession had been about her dyslexia; he admired how hard she must have worked to make it through the exam.

She breathed an audible sigh of relief.

That is, until she noticed Inuyasha and seemed to stop breathing altogether.

"Hey," Inuyasha greeted, hoping her wide deer-in-headlights eyes were a symbol of pleasant surprise rather than...something not pleasant.

Kagome soon smiled. "Hi," she replied warmly. "That exam was tough, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it was," Inuyasha lied. "I saw you biting that thumbnail like you said you do."

Kagome laughed. "Caught in the act." Inuyasha smiled at her and wondered if he would ever hear something as beautiful as her laugh.

Kagome's laugh subsided as she looked at him. Her blue eyes were still bright as their gazes remained locked.

"So," Inuyasha said, her blue eyes both causing him to lose his nerve as well as fuel it all the more. "You liked my speech, huh?"

Kagome blushed. "I did. Very much."

'Go for it!'

"My roommate is dating Sango," Inuyasha blurted. Maybe it wasn't the right time for that, but he didn't want to tiptoe over something they both knew. He'd been waiting for her long enough.

Kagome laughed. "I know. She mentioned what she and Miroku did to your speech. She can be devious sometimes. I'm sorry she did that to you." Inuyasha waved off her apology.

"Miroku is the same," he replied. "He's the one that actually rewrote the flashcards, so I mostly blame him." He smiled. "I think it was worth it, though...or I think it's going to be worth it."

Kagome moved a step closer to him, blue eyes shining.

"I think so, too," she replied. "Um...I'm a great driver and do my singing in the car rather than shower. I skip my usual huge breakfast for a smoothie if I oversleep. Spiders are my worst fear, I miss my dad the most, and the amount of time it takes for someone to find a home in my heart…" She smiled. "Well, it depends on the person."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as she answered every question from his speech.

"I want to know yours," she said as she reached for his hand. Inuyasha laced his fingers with hers and he stared down at her in absolute awe.

"We could talk about it over lunch?" he suggested somewhat coherently. But her voice was warm and her skin was soft and he was starting to lose his mind a little bit.

Kagome's smile grew. "Yes, definitely. Inuyasha, I want you to know that if I'd written a different confession, mine would have been the same as yours. I just...I want you to know that your attraction isn't hopeless."

'Just when I thought she couldn't shock me anymore…'

Inuyasha chuckled quietly. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that." He tugged gently on her hand. "Let me take you on a date, Kagome."

She let him lead her out of the building as they headed toward the parking lot.

But Inuyasha knew they were really heading straight toward their future.

FIN.


End file.
